Lebkuchen

Step 1

Place the honey and brown sugar in a small pot and warm gently over low heat; do not bring to a boil. As soon as the sugar has melted, remove from heat and add the butter. Let the butter melt completely. Set aside.

Step 2

In the bowl of a stand mixture, stir together the flour, spices, grated lemon peel, and cocoa powder.

Step 3

Stir the potassium carbonate into the kirsch to dissolve.

Step 4

Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and crack in the eggs. Attach the bowl to the stand mixer and fit it with the whisk attachment. Mix on low speed, and then continue mixing as you slowly pour the honey mixture into the bowl. With the mixer still running, pour the potassium carbonate mixture into the bowl. The potassium carbonate smells a little unpleasant, but that odor will dissipate during the storage period. Continue mixing for five minutes. The dough will glisten faintly.

Step 5

Scrape the dough into a ceramic bowl and cover with a plate. The covering should not be airtight; the dough needs to be able to breathe. Place it in a cool, dark place for a minimum of one day. Optimally, the dough should rest for two months; its flavor will become much more nuanced.

Step 6

A couple of hours before you plan to bake, line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Assemble an assortment of cookie cutters. In Germany, hearts, bells, animals, boots, and stars are all traditional shapes.

Step 7

Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead once or twice, then cut the dough into quarters. Working one quarter at a time, roll the dough out to ¼ inch thickness. Cut out cookies and lay them close together on the first prepared baking sheet. Once all of the cookies are cut out and laid on the baking sheet, set them aside to rest for one to two hours at room temperature.

Step 8

Decorate with almonds, if desired, gently pressing them into the cookies.

Step 9

Heat the oven to 325°F and position a rack in the center of the oven. Bake the cookies for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are puffed. They should be firm and dry to the touch. Don’t let the tops brown or the bottoms burn. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place on a rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Step 10

To glaze the cookies: place 1 cup confectioners' sugar and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil until the water has mostly evaporated and the glaze is thick with big bubbles. Remove from heat, then immediately brush the glaze over the hot cookies right after they emerge from the oven. Allow to cool and set.

Step 11

To coat the lebkuchen with chocolate: Coarsely chop the chocolate, place in a metal bowl over a pot of simmering water, and melt, stirring, until smooth and glossy. Turn the fully cooled lebkuchen upside down and dip them evenly into the melted chocolate. Let them cool right-side up on a rack until set.

Step 12

When the glazed and chocolate-coated lebkuchen are set, store them in an airtight container, where they will keep for up to six months.